From the Washington Harbor District Alliance 

As the cool, crisp air overcomes Beaufort County, vendors, acts and others at Washington’s monthly music event predict the community-at-large to be out in full force Friday.

Friday evening marks the sixth out of seven Music in the Streets events of the year, and while several area nonprofits that frequently appear at the event will be present, a few new acts will be featured. The Historic Port of Washington Museum will be open, featuring a variety of exhibits, as well as the Historic Port of Washington mural by Douglas Alvord, a local resident.

Gene and Gina, longtime supporters of the event, return to perform. The pair was once part of a band called Item 9 that had performed at Music in the Streets since its inception. The two are both recent East Carolina University graduates, who have been performing together for 15 years, and are looking forward to their annual appearance at the event, according to Beth Byrd, of the Washington Harbor District Alliance.

New to the MITS scene is Back Burner, a four-man cover band that performs country and classic rock hits, among other tunes, according to bass player Joe Yates.

Yates, who has been involved in music since the age of 14, said the band has been together for more than a year and plays in clubs frequently.

“We play a lot of Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Johnny Cash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi—music like that,” Yates said. “I think it’s a good thing we’re doing (MITS). It’s good for people to come out and support local musicians. We go out there and play music, and we have a good time.”

Among other acts scheduled to perform include: Rosalie, a blues, pop and soul duo featuring Jenny Rosalie Lee on vocals and Jon Mackey on acoustic guitar; Elemeno, a four-piece rock band from Greensboro; and the Riders, comprised of three friends, who have been playing music together since high school. Three writing perspectives give the band an eclectic sound, but their roots are in rock ‘n’ roll.

According to Byrd, the classic car display at MITS will make its last appearance for the year. Several local car clubs will showcase a variety of classic and muscle cars, and according to Skip McQuiston, a member of three different local car clubs, the weather will be perfect for a stroll down Main Street to listen to some good music and take in a bit of history and sight-seeing.